Hype: The Visitor is about a professor who discovers an immigrant couple in his house. That is all I know about the plot of this film. One thing I also know about this film is that it has gotten amazing reviews. It is Certified Fresh on RottenTomatoes.com with a 93% positive review rating. Given the high number of positive reviews, this film should be a joy to watch.
Review: The Visitor is a film about a college professor named Walter, played by Richard Jenkins, who goes to New York for a work conference. When he arrives at his New York apartment he realizes he is not alone. Inside his apartment is a couple, Tarek and Zainab, that happen to be illegal immigrants. Tarek starts to teach Walter to play the drums which helps Walter coup with his depression. One day while out in New York, Tarek is arrested and sent to a detention center where illegal immigrants are detained. Walter then starts to visit Tarek and hires a lawyer to help get him out.
You really feel bad for Walter throughout this film. His wife had passed away and you could tell he doesn't really enjoy his job. Once Walter meets Tarek and starts the drum lessons, you really seem him start to loosen up. One of my favorite scenes with Walter and Tarek was when they play drums in the middle of Central Park. It isn't just Tarek and Walter playing the drums, its a huge group of guys and there are people dancing around. At first you can see Walter isn't too comfortable with it, but as he sees Tarek playing he loosens up. It was fun to watch Walter let his guard down and have fun.
The Visitor isn't a fast pace, on the edge of your seat movie, but yet it does a good job of keeping the viewer interested. I never really thought there was a dull moment. This is one of those films where you easily get emotionally attached to the characters. You can really feel their pain. I really enjoyed this film. The story is interesting and the characters are a joy. I highly recommend this film. It is definitely one of the best films released in 2008.
